They Won't Build a Statue for Frank Blamey

During Saturday night and Sunday morning Frank Blamey passed away. Frank was 85 years old. He gained his 1st class degree at Oxford University and worked for 30 years as an HR manager in ICI Cheshire. Frank did not turn ICI around singlehandedly, he did not expand ICI into new exotic export markets, neither did he invent a new product or scientific break through in a laboratory. Frank never wrote a management book but he did hire Charles Handy once to run a workshop. Frank was not ruthless nor did he clamber over his peers for promotion. Frank did not do anything remarkable in ICI before he retired at 52 years old, he just quietly cared and supported many staff through their daily work lives.

After he retired Frank was very active in his community. He read books for the Blind Newspaper every week. Frank visited people who had strokes and read to them and played the piano. Frank volunteered to tidy the gardens of a local stately home and became the chairman of their friends association. Frank choose to volunteer as a Samaritan offering a friendly listening ear to those who were wretched and contemplating suicide. He became the director of the Samaritans and later the chairman of their fundraising body for many years. Frank was active in his local church and always available to take people to hospital or for a dental appointment. He would happily visit anybody he knew in hospital, stopping to talk to other patients who had no visitors. Frank was a school governor for 15 years, he was also a committee member for the boys and girls club. He went to the library twice a week for himself and anybody else needing a book.

Frank never married, he had no children but his “family” and those who loved him was huge.

They will never build a statue to remember Frank Blamey, a company man who served ICI and the staff well during his employment. There was no OBE, no letter from the Queen, no place in the Lords. He was a professional and cared for the people in his charge. He was a quiet community member who showed leadership, quietly made things happen and contributed to so many people and their families. Frank showed his support by doing quietly. Frank never saved a life from a fire, nor a child from drowning. Frank gave of himself rather than his wallet and enjoyed listening to others rather than the sound of his own voice.

They will never build a statue for Frank Blamey, but he was always there for me when I needed him. He was my mentor, listening to my leadership challenges, raising an eyebrow, keeping my gaze, challenging my raw solutions and letting me polish them into wiser actions. Frank was a leader, he brought leadership to his community and he made a difference, quietly. Frank is registered on LinkedIn, he has one connection, me.

Sometimes as busy leaders in business we forget to use our leadership skills for the benefit of the communities in which we live. Frank never preached, he just quietly lived his life by his own moral framework. I shall be having a sit down and review with myself over the next few weeks. Thanks Frank for one last quiet nudge to improve my life.

They will never build a statue to Frank Blamey, but maybe I should. I will miss him - he was my friend.